Israel-Gaza updates: Israeli forces preparing for 'wide range of offensive plans'

Fighting is ongoing after Hamas launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

At least 1,400 people have died and 3,400 others have been injured in Israel after the militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented incursion from air, land and sea on Oct. 7, Israeli authorities said.

In Gaza, 3,000 people have been killed and another 12,500 were injured, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Tensions are high with the prospect of ground war and evacuation orders for Gaza after the Israel Defense Forces called for "all residents of Gaza City to evacuate their homes" and "move south for their protection" early Friday, saying residents should move "and settle in the area south of the Gaza River." The announcement was made, according to the IDF, because it plans to "operate significantly in Gaza City in the coming days" and wanted "to avoid harming civilians."

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Timeline: The Hamas attack and response

On the morning of Oct. 7, sirens echoed across Israel as Hamas terrorists began a full-fledged surprise attack from the air, sea and ground. Hundreds of armed Hamas fighters stormed into Israel from Gaza, charging into cities and gunning down citizens.

Israeli forces responded by sending wave after wave of bombs into Gaza, killing thousands, trapping civilians and raising fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East.

Click here for the full timeline


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Another Hamas leader killed

The Israel Defense Forces said its fighter jets have killed Iman Nofal, a senior Hamas member who was a former leader of Hamas' military intelligence.


Gaza hospitals running out of fuel

Gaza hospitals are estimated to have less than 24 hours of fuel left, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.


John Kirby discusses safety concerns for Biden's trip to Israel and Jordan

President Joe Biden departs for the Middle East on Tuesday for in-person meetings with Israeli and Arab leaders amid concerns of an expanded conflict in the Israel-Hamas war.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told "Good Morning America" that Biden's focus is on the hostage situation, to make sure humanitarian aid can flow to civilians in Gaza, and to get an update from Israeli counterparts on their plans and ground operations.

Asked about safety concerns, Kirby said "there’s always a concern" wherever the president goes, and those concerns would be "appropriately addressed through the necessary force protection and personnel protection measures. "

Asked if Biden's visit also includes urging Israel to avoid a full-scale ground invasion of Gaza, Kirby reiterated that the U.S. is not telling the Israeli military how to operate but that civilians should be protected.

Kirby added that it's "vital" that the administration gets supplemental funding from Congress for Israel and Ukraine.

-ABC News' Justin Gomez


3,000 tons of aid with nowhere to go as Gaza-Egypt border remains closed

The Egyptian Food Bank has nearly 3,000 tons of aid, including food, medicine and blankets, ready to cross into Gaza to help its trapped residents, its CEO said. But for now, the trucks are sitting still as the Gaza-Egypt border remains closed.

Mohsen Sarhan, the CEO of the Egyptian Food Bank, told ABC News he went to the border on Tuesday morning.

"You can see people dying, like, few miles away from you," he said. "Everyone in the world knows that these people have run out of water, and they have run out of medicine and have they have run out of food. And you have all that right in front of you. And you can't give it to the people. It's a human rights crisis. And it's very frustrating."

-ABC News' Matt Rivers


IDF says Hamas fighters 'are still hiding' in Israeli communities

Hamas fighters are believed to be "still hiding" in some communities in southern Israel even after the Israeli military took back control, according to Israel Defense Forces spokesman Maj. Doron Spielman.

"We are in control of the communities, but we actually assume that there are Hamas terrorists that are still hiding in these areas, including in the road where we are now," Spielman told ABC News during an interview Monday in Sderot, Israel. "In all these communities, we've seen terrorist come out of hiding. Just yesterday, they took over an ambulance."

"We're still being very, very careful," he added. "This is a war zone with active terrorists that are operating here."

Sderot is a southwestern Israeli city located near the county's border with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. A police station there was stormed by Hamas fighters on Saturday as part of the militant group's wider incursion, leaving at least six Israeli police officers dead. The IDF then bombed the police station with the Hamas fighters inside, demolishing it.

Hamas fighters and other Palestinian militants are "striking strategic locations" along the border fence, allowing them to drive through in pickup trucks, Spielman said. Civilians in some of the local communities have been ordered to evacuate, while others have left voluntarily, according to Spielman.

"We do have a lot of ground troops in this area. We have a lot of tanks. We have, in addition, artillery. And we're prepared forever for anything," he said. "And if it happens, the next stage, it's going to happen here because this is the area that was the flashpoint and this is the area we're going to be presenting ourselves and finishing this battle. We, of course, have no choice but to finish."

When asked about the mounting casualties of Palestinian civilians in Gaza as a result of the IDF's retaliatory airstrikes, Spielman said: "We always try to avoid civilian casualties. However, I would say that this is war and our first priority here is to destroy Hamas."

-ABC News' Angus Hines and Ian Pannell